A marriage can end even when two people want a cooperative process. California’s joint-petition procedure gives that intention a different starting format: both people begin the court case together. It is a meaningful change in how a case opens, with important work still ahead.
What changed in 2026
Beginning January 1, 2026, spouses or domestic partners can use the joint-petition procedure for divorce or legal separation. California Courts identifies FL-700, Joint Petition—Marriage or Domestic Partnership, and FL-710, Summons—Joint Petition, as the starting forms. The parties appear as Petitioner 1 and Petitioner 2. The court’s joint-petition guide explains the procedure and links to FL-700-INFO.
Filing together starts a case. It does not produce a completed divorce or a signed judgment. The distinction matters when comparing an opening packet with an entire case process.
The agreement still has to be completed
The joint route is designed for an agreed resolution. The court explains that every detail need not be settled before filing, but the parties must ultimately agree on all issues to finish through this process. It is different from summary dissolution, which has its own eligibility limits and instructions. The summary-dissolution guide is a separate source.
Choosing between procedures can affect legal rights and obligations. An article can explain their names and broad differences; it cannot determine which procedure fits a particular reader.
Cooperation does not remove the paperwork
Financial information still has to be exchanged. The court’s joint-petition disclosure instructions describe a deadline of 60 days after filing for both participants. A written agreement and final judgment paperwork also remain part of finishing the case.
Filing together is not a promise that all court charges collapse into one person’s fee. Family Code section 2342.5 specifies fees associated with the joint filing. Current county charges and any fee-waiver treatment need to be checked separately from a document-preparation service’s price.
The clock and the limits still matter
For a divorce using a joint petition, the court guide explains that the six-month waiting period runs from the joint filing. Reaching that interval does not automatically end the marriage: a judgment is still necessary. Legal separation has no equivalent six-month waiting period and leaves the parties legally married.
The joint procedure also has limits if court orders are needed before judgment. Section 2342.5 requires an amended petition or response before or with a request for an order. Either party can move the case out of the joint procedure before judgment through the prescribed process. Those are points for legal review, not reasons to assume agreement will continue without difficulty.
A practical way to prepare the conversation
Create a simple topic list covering the issues you expect to discuss, the documents already available, and the questions that remain unanswered. Use a separate entry for each question instead of writing a conclusion you have not actually reached. Keep a dated copy so changes are visible.
Administrative takeaway: distinguish agreed facts, open questions, and missing documents. That distinction makes the preparation conversation clearer without asking the paperwork preparer to make legal decisions.
Explore Fast Divorce’s joint-petition service information for the current scope of administrative assistance.